Wed. Sports edge

July 02, 2003

Monday's opening round of the Tylenol 2003 Par-3 Shootout was the best overall round in the five years of the event. Fuzzy Zoeller, Lee Trevino, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson combined for 12 birdies on the day under near-perfect conditions. Tee shots by Trevino on the second hole, Mickelson on the third hole and Couples on the seventh hole came within 19 inches of the pin. In addition, three of the golfers had skins, which is a first for a single nine-hole round. Zoeller's skin was worth $80,000 while Couples and Zoeller each pocketed $40,000 with their skins.

€Fuzzy Zoeller was the only newcomer this year. He raved about the course and about northern Michigan, as others before him. "I rank this par-3 course right up there with the one at Augusta," he said. "It's a lot of fun to play."

€Zoeller loved the scenery the course provides with its undulating hills, tree-lined fairways and scenic views, but he wasn't as enamored with the thought of walking up and down the hills. "Let's make an executive decision," he said to his fellow golfers on the third tee, "to ride [in the golf carts] the rest of the way."

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€Playing in the Shoot-out is much more laid back than being in a tour event, Mickelson says. "It's a light-hearted atmosphere," he told reporters. He acknowledged that playing with Zoeller and Trevino, who do a lot of jabbering, had an effect on him. "I didn't get a chance to say much, but I listened a lot," he said, drawing laughs from everyone in the media tent.

€Defending Shootout champ Couples enjoyed the crowd: "It's a huge gallery to come and watch us play on a short day. It's fun to come and play in front of a couple thousand people."

€Mickelson is an avid NFL fan and very knowledgeable. When asked about the Lions, he amazed reporters with his in-depth analysis. No, they won't make the playoffs this year, he said, but "they have good direction now." He called the Lions' first-round selection of Charles Rogers a real plus, and noted that the defensive line is the team's strength. But that's not all - he then named all of the linemen.